The first thing I want to say is that this blog has taken nearly a year to put together. Not through a lack of will power but mostly as I thought it fair to write a viewpoint after extensively using the set up giving me more time to fine tune the system.

This is long blog, I would suggest getting the coffee ready now before starting !! Also… I guess I should be upfront about my relationships with SmugMug & Adobe – I am part of the Community Pro team in the UK and have done a talk for SmugMug at the photography show and do use the affiliate program. However, I all genuineness, I do love the products that these companies provide and this blog is only about how I use them.

The workflow is built around 3 key elements , or 3 keyneeds. I want my images where I need them, looking good at all times and safe. The Creative Cloud (Photoshop & Lightroom), SmugMug & WordPress combination seems to this for me overall and most of the time. It is designed to be a multi-use Photography Workflow. While it is not the only way I work and it is not the most simple, it does work and is the safest workflow. Sometimes, just using Adobe Bridge & Photoshop then Dropbox or posting a DVD of images can work too! If your’e new to SmugMug – this is the place to get your questions sorted or put them at the bottom of this blog and I shall try to get to them as and when I see them, or any questions for that matter. We will also not go into how to edit photos or how to move or process images though LR or PS in great detail. Feel free to check out my retouching blogs for them

What are photo editors really looking for from professional photographers? And how can you make connections with potential clients and land gigs? In The Inspiration Handbook: 50 Tips from 50 Photography Trailblazers, get advice from Brad Smith, Elizabeth Krist, Emily Shornick, Brinson Banks, James Bellorini, Alexandre Buisse, Kate Osba, Lindsay Adler, Elizabeth Weinberg, and Jodi Cobb who share their best tips to getting hired.

Photograph of an ISS transit using Triggertrap Mobile taken by Aaron Harris

Photographing the International Space Station is no easy feat. It takes skill, a fair amount of planning, and a whole lot of patience. After years of planning, Aaron Harris has managed to perfect his method for capturing the ISS in transit. Aaron uses his Canon 7D with a Sigma 150-500mm, and of course his Triggertrap kit, to capture his stunning images. We got in touch with Aaron to find out how he captures his impressive ISS photos.

In my last post I talked about the importance of communication on a fashion shoot or any kind of collaborative shoot. Today, I’d like to share with you some things I’ve learnt whilst travelling and some general manners that should matter when you’re both at home and away!

1. Research the places you’re visiting. There are so many platforms where people share their photos, experiences and recommendations. I like to check out Flickr, and sometimes, look through images via the location hashtag on Instagram. The latter is amazing! Just by looking through different people’s streams, I’ve come across new towns, cities, great locations, and even got an idea about what time of year is best to visit.

I look at more photos online every single day than most people go through in a month. It’s part of the job, scouring 500px and the Internet at large for the best photography out there and then writing about it—and over the course of 5 years doing this or something similar, I’ve learned some things.

I’ve learned what will get you published, what will get you noticed, what ‘exposure’ is really worth, and what topics are so dead-horse beaten that they make me nauseous every time I see an article about them (did you know that you should NEVER EVER EVER give away your photos for free… except, of course, when you should… duh).

I’ve also come to recognize the most common mistakes photographers—both newbies and, surprisingly, advanced shooters—make when they begin sharing their work online. Below are the 5 most common mistakes I see, and if you’d like to have your work noticed and appreciated, NOT doing the 5 things below is a fantastic place to start.

This is the first zoom lens with an f/2 aperture that covers full frame sensors!

Sigma has recently announced another groundbreaking lens in their acclaimed Global Vision line of Art series lenses. This is the world’s first full frame zoom lens with an f/2 aperture. You heard that right. Prime lens speed, with the ability to change the focal length of the lens. Wow.

Note: Be warned, some of the files are shot on a Canon 5Ds and are huge! All files were only lightly edited in Lightroom CC. Only minor exposure adjustments or minor cropping. No sharpening added. Copyright held by author.

More than once I have succumbed to the pressure to be in one and together with me, only few have been able to escape the phenomenon of the selfie.

Selfies seem to have become just another part of life. Over time the wonderment about people striking the strangest of poses in front of their telephones has vanished. Younger generations will even find themselves in selfies that exceed their memory. We have simply learned to see upon the selfie as a part of modern day society and the debate surrounding it slowly fades away.

You can choose between many camera bags – we assume that you carry your camera at all times and need a bag for it, so a camera bag is a must. The offering is huge – many sizes, colors and shapes: backpacks, belt pouches… There are camera bags that say loud and clear that they contain photography gear, and others are very discreet. And yes, sometimes having a camera bag that does not look like a camera bag is a good thing, not only so you don’t get marked for stealing your gear, but also not to draw attention to yourself when you are trying to “steal” a photo.

But… What if we want to carry our camera inside a bag or a backpack that you already own, even if it was not designed for carrying cameras? Today I´ll show you how to use any bag to carry with you a small or medium size camera, safe and discreetly.

I got the inspiration for the square ring light from a trip to Vegas. The hotel bathroom had a light that ran the perimeter of the giant rectangle mirror. I noticed the square ring catchlight in my eye and found it really interesting and wanted to reproduce this. A dozen (ok, maybe 2-3) different ideas ran through my head on how to build something the square ring light. I settled on good ole fashioned Foamcore for the test run.

Square and Ring? I know, it’s not exactly the best term for it, but I couldn’t think of what else to call it. So here it is, the Square Ring Light.

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Allen Mowery is a commercial and lifestyle photographer, pseudo-philosopher, and wannabe documentarian killing time amidst the rolling hills of Central Pennsylvania. When not shooting client work or chasing overgrown wildlife from his yard, he loves to capture the stories of the people and culture around him. You can check out his work on his website or follow along on Facebook, Twitter (@allenmowery), and 500px.

JP Danko is a commercial photographer based in Toronto, Canada. JP
can change a lens mid-rappel, swap a memory card while treading water, or use a camel as a light stand.

Stefan Kohler is a conceptual photographer, specialized in mixing science, technology and photography. He is one of the founders of Kamerakind, based in Traunstein, Southern Germany. You can follow him on Facebook or on 500px.com

Tiffany Mueller is a photographer based in Hawi, Hawaii. You can follow her Twitter here and her personal life here.

Liron Samuels is a wildlife and commercial photographer based in Israel.

When he isn't waking up at 4am to take photos of nature, he stays awake until 4am taking photos of the night skies or time lapses.

Laya Gerlock is a Portrait and Product photographer based in the Philippines. His passion is teaching and sharing his knowledge in Photograpy and has been doing this for 6 years. You can follow his work on his web page, follow him on Flickr and if you happen to come by Cubao, Quezon City (To Manila, Philippines) he gives a great workshop!